diff --git a/ir.c b/ir.c
index 1a99150..f652f6a 100644
--- a/ir.c
+++ b/ir.c
@@ -2972,7 +2972,8 @@ bool ir_builder_generate(ir_builder *self, const char *filename)
     stmt.o3.u1 = 0;
     vec_push(code_statements, stmt);
 
-    printf("writing '%s'...\n", filename);
+    if (!opts_pp_only)
+        con_out("writing '%s'...\n", filename);
     return code_write(filename);
 }
 
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 1c11b27..2db65f9 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -473,15 +473,19 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     util_debug("COM", "starting ...\n");
 
     if (vec_size(items)) {
-        con_out("Mode: manual\n");
-        con_out("There are %lu items to compile:\n", (unsigned long)vec_size(items));
+        if (!opts_pp_only) {
+            con_out("Mode: manual\n");
+            con_out("There are %lu items to compile:\n", (unsigned long)vec_size(items));
+        }
         for (itr = 0; itr < vec_size(items); ++itr) {
-            con_out("  item: %s (%s)\n",
-                   items[itr].filename,
-                   ( (items[itr].type == TYPE_QC ? "qc" :
-                     (items[itr].type == TYPE_ASM ? "asm" :
-                     (items[itr].type == TYPE_SRC ? "progs.src" :
-                     ("unknown"))))));
+            if (!opts_pp_only) {
+                con_out("  item: %s (%s)\n",
+                       items[itr].filename,
+                       ( (items[itr].type == TYPE_QC ? "qc" :
+                         (items[itr].type == TYPE_ASM ? "asm" :
+                         (items[itr].type == TYPE_SRC ? "progs.src" :
+                         ("unknown"))))));
+            }
 
             if (opts_pp_only) {
                 if (!ftepp_preprocess_file(items[itr].filename)) {
@@ -505,17 +509,18 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         char *line;
         size_t linelen = 0;
 
-        con_out("Mode: progs.src\n");
+        if (!opts_pp_only)
+            con_out("Mode: progs.src\n");
         src = util_fopen("progs.src", "rb");
         if (!src) {
-            con_out("failed to open `progs.src` for reading\n");
+            con_err("failed to open `progs.src` for reading\n");
             retval = 1;
             goto cleanup;
         }
 
         line = NULL;
         if (!progs_nextline(&line, &linelen, src) || !line[0]) {
-            con_out("illformatted progs.src file: expected output filename in first line\n");
+            con_err("illformatted progs.src file: expected output filename in first line\n");
             retval = 1;
             goto srcdone;
         }
@@ -528,7 +533,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         while (progs_nextline(&line, &linelen, src)) {
             if (!line[0] || (line[0] == '/' && line[1] == '/'))
                 continue;
-            con_out("  src: %s\n", line);
+            if (!opts_pp_only)
+                con_out("  src: %s\n", line);
             if (!parser_compile_file(line)) {
                 retval = 1;
                 goto srcdone;
diff --git a/parser.c b/parser.c
index 805c28c..a292c90 100644
--- a/parser.c
+++ b/parser.c
@@ -3431,7 +3431,7 @@ bool parser_compile_file(const char *filename)
 {
     parser->lex = lex_open(filename);
     if (!parser->lex) {
-        con_out("failed to open file \"%s\"\n", filename);
+        con_err("failed to open file \"%s\"\n", filename);
         return false;
     }
     return parser_compile();
@@ -3441,7 +3441,7 @@ bool parser_compile_string(const char *name, const char *str)
 {
     parser->lex = lex_open_string(str, strlen(str), name);
     if (!parser->lex) {
-        con_out("failed to create lexer for string \"%s\"\n", name);
+        con_err("failed to create lexer for string \"%s\"\n", name);
         return false;
     }
     return parser_compile();